The present invention relates to generally to filament winding apparatuses, and more particularly to a programmable filament winding apparatus and process wherein the winding of a filament can be controlled.
Various apparatuses for winding a filament exist within the prior art. Such apparatuses typically include a rotatable mandrel, means for applying a settable resin spray on the surface of the mandrel, a filament supply means for supplying filament to be applied to the surface of the mandrel and traversing means for effecting relative movement of the resin spray and the filament.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,389 discloses a method and apparatus for making cylindrical objects by applying resin to the surface of a mandrel and embedding stranded reinforcement in such settable resin. A resin spray nozzle is provided that can be moved toward and away from a mandrel on which the nozzle sprays resin.. The resin spray nozzle can also be swung relative to the mandrel about an upright axis or can dispense resin in a flat spray wherein the application of the flat spray to the mandrel can be altered from being parallel to the axis of the mandrel to being disposed at an angle to such axis. To control the amount of resin sprayed onto the mandrel, auxiliary means are used to move the nozzle relative to the mandrel such as moving the nozzle toward and away from the mandrel. This is in addition to the axial-traversing movement. Also, the nozzle used to apply resin can be turned about an upright axis to displace the depositing location of the resin spray axially of the mandrel, or about an axis generally parallel to the path along which resin is ejected from the nozzle in a flat fan-shaped spray to change the plane of the spray from a position generally parallel to the axis of the mandrel into a position at a substantial angle to the axis of the mandrel. A shield is utilized and is swingable either up and down or sidewise between a position offset from the path along which resin is ejected from the nozzle toward the mandrel to a position interposed between the nozzle and the mandrel for intercepting a spray of liquid from the nozzle toward the mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,740 discloses a filament winding apparatus utilizing a microprocessor with a software program in memory for calculating the desired movement and position of the filament head along one or more axis with respect to the rotation of the mandrel. In the preferred embodiment, the complete basic sequential movement of a filament carriage is programmed and placed in a microprocessor memory. The necessary variables for various sizes and the like may be introduced into a temporary memory for execution and an incremental encoder is appropriately coupled to the mandrel drive motor to provide a pulse output, with a predetermined and accurate number of pulses generated for each revolution of the mandrel. An absolute encoder is coupled to a servomotor which is energized to reciprocally and oppositely position the carriage and filament winding head relative to the mandrel. The processing control unit of the microprocessor reads the number of total pulses generating by the incremental encoder, and through calculation based on the gear drive systems and the like, determines the proper filament carriage position. The microprocessor reads the actual output of the absolute encoder to determine the actual carriage position. In the preferred embodiment, the carriage position is controlled by the servomotor. The microprocessor simultaneously samples the output of the incremental encoder and the absolute encoder at predetermined time intervals of the absolute encoder per sample. The signal is then modified to increase or decrease the motor speed and acceleration in accordance with actual and desired conditions. Movement of the carriage is therefore defined in terms of the incremental encoder movement which can be defined in a logical mathematical expression. The computer, it appears, therefore runs the carriage enslaved to the mandrel speed.
A method of making an elastomer lined composite vessel or portion of such vessel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,619. The method comprises causing a thin, tacky ribbon comprising a elastomer to continuously encircle a center rotational axis of a mandrel so as to adjacently position and tack together integral segments of the ribbon substantially circumferentially relative to this center rotational axis, thereby forming a layer of the elastomer about the mandrel. A shell comprising filaments and thermosettable resin is applied to the layer of elastomer, and the thermosettable resin is cured to provide the vessel or portion of the vessel.
Various controlled devices or systems exist within the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,327 discloses a method and system of numerically controlling a large multi-axis machine such as a filament winding machine wherein one axis movement consists of a large mask or moment of inertia necessitating a servo drive system of relatively low natural frequency while all the other axis movement of the machine or such as to be capable of utilizing high response drives with very high natural frequency. A system for automatically controlling the operation of a machine tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,258. Yet another control system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,252 wherein an electronic control system for controlling the dependent motion responsive to the independent motion in a system wherein an independent motion and a dependent motion are a function of the independent motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,650 discloses an apparatus for generating a velocity command signal representing a predetermined optimum velocity movement of a selected one of a plurality of moveable elements from its actual position to a desired stopping position.
Despite the prior art apparatuses, room for improvement exists in the art of programmable filament winding apparatuses.